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Apple's iPhone 7 Vs Samsung's Galaxy S7

Posted on Sep 12, 2016

It was the moment we had all been waiting for; the much anticipated unveiling of the notorious iPhone 7. What could Apple possibly bring to the table that hadn’t already been done before? Even with a slightly accidental early reveal due to an error on Twitter, the reaction to the new device was very much mixed. The biggest backlash came regarding the new wireless headphones and complete elimination of the headphone jack as well as concerns over the withdrawal of the 64 gigabyte storage option. However, as always Apple is unvexed by these reviews and still predicts a sell out of the new phone upon it’s release date that could put an end to two quarters of iPhone sales declines.

Certainly, iPhone 7 is a step up from iPhone 6 however how does it compare with its rival Samsung who along with Apple, has dominated the smartphone market for many years. At a glance we can see that in the three months ending May 2016 Samsung actually took over Apple and accounted for 37% of smartphone sales and Apple 29%. However, sales of their respective flagship models reveal a much closer competition, with the Galaxy S7 accounting for 16% of sales and the iPhone 6s/6s at 14.6%. What is interesting is that just 5% of Samsung purchases came from those switching away from Apple, while 14% of Apple purchasers came from those switching away from Samsung. In both cases, the majority of sales came from customers repurchasing and upgrading. Among those intending to change devices within the next year, 88% of current Apple users and 86% of current Samsung users intend to stay loyal. We take a look at the features of the new iphone 7 stacked up against the Samsung Galaxy S7, one of the best android phones on the market. Will the newest smartphone on the market sway loyal Samsung customers?

Design

Both very attractive phones in their own right but with different looks. Both phones are easy to hold and use in one hand with a physical home button and screen dominated front. The Samsung features a glass front and back with a metal strip along the sides and weighs slightly heavier than the iPhone7. iPhone 7 has retained many of the design elements of the iPhone 6 with a metal build now available in glossy or matte black with a glass front that curves at the sides. The most obvious difference between it and the Samsung is the new missing headphone port which is said to improve dust and water resistance.

Display and Storage

Samsung has always won on displays and the iPhone 7 still doesn’t measure up. The S7 delivers 2,560 x 1,440 pixels at an impressive 577 dpi while the iPhone 7 delivers 1,334 x 720 pixels at 326ppi. Whilst still admirable for Apple, Samsung can be seen as the winner is this instance. Storage for the Samsung S7 consists of 4GB of on-board RAM and 64GB of storage, and the much-missed microSD card is back with support for up to 256GB of additional storage. A change in the iPhone 7 is the elimination of the much loved 64 GB storage option and release of 32 GB, 128 GB and 256 GB choices. For lovers of a full camera roll and music library, that truly is a massive bonus over the S7.

Camera

The Samsung S7 is well known as having the best camera on an android phone but the iPhone has always given it a run for its money. iPhone 7 is no different. Apple has once again improved camera quality with a 12-megapixel camera with optical image stabilization and a f/1.8 aperture, giving it a bigger pixel size, better low-light capabilities, and longer exposure. While the S7 also features a 12-megapixel shooter, the front facing camera at 5 megapixel doesn’t measure up to the iPhone 7’s 7 megapixel. Both phones have 4K video recording at 30fps and 1080p at 60fps but the iPhone once again moves ahead in the race with various stand out features like auto image stabilization, exposure control, wide color capture, deep trench isolation, Live Photos, and Retina Flash.

Battery

Apple has been long criticised for battery life with the iPhone 6S receiving backlash for its relatively small 1,715mAh. The S7 battery delivers 3,000mAh through effective features such as “Doze Mode” and “Always On” meaning you can check your phone without lighting up the whole display. This allows the S7 to easily get you through a whole day without fuss. While we do not yet fully know the ins and outs of the new iPhone 7 battery Apple has promised a battery boost, claiming that it can last two hours longer than the iPhone 6s. Only time will tell if the biggest iPhone gripe has been solved.

Price and Availability

The Apple iPhone 7 will be available in jet black, black, silver, gold, and rose gold colors. Its configurations are 32GB for £599, 128GB for £699, and 256GB for £799. The jet black and black iPhone 7 only come in 128GB and 256GB. The Samsung S7 is available in black, white, gold and silver at 32GB for £569.

At the end of the day, Apple and Samsung will always have their fans and haters. Leah Hickey, Digital Marketing Account Manager at Why Media says “Undeniably, the iPhone 7 and Galaxy S7 are both excellent phones with many outstanding features. I have been an iPhone user for many years and personally don’t think I could be swayed from a brand that I have become loyal to. The new features of the iPhone 7 only enhance further that Apple are continuously thinking outside the box and stepping their game up. While I am apprehensive of some features like the lack of headphone jack I am excited to see what Apple has to offer and will undoubtedly remain an Apple customer”. Only time will tell how these two phones will rival upon the release of the iPhone 7 on September 16th.